Laurel Spellman
Directing
Known For

A look at the modern-day problem of "affluenza," an epidemic of stress, overwork, shopping and debt caused by the pursuit of the American Dream. The history of the condition is explored, as well as the advertising and marketing ploys used to sustain it. Men and women from around the country share their stories of personal debt and suggestions for financial recovery.
Affluenza

Jonathan Santos, 22, documented his 37 days in Iraq on video and in writing; never knowing that day 38 would be his last. From high explosives to clandestine home brew, his video footage and witty narrative combine personal musings on life, death, and the future he imagined but would never see. His charming buddy, Matthew, who barely survived, brings the war home. Through Jonathan's handwritten words and videotape, the film tells a personal and profound story.
The Corporal's Diary
Two teenagers, David and Hugo, meet by chance on a canoe ride in the Amazon. This documentary follows their lives as David begins a fair-trade certification system for oil production companies to help with the oil-waste problem in the Ecuadorian Amazon, while Hugo gets an American education that will allow him to return to his homelands as a leader.
Oil & Water
BUSTING OUT will challenge how you think about breasts. Filmmaker Francine Strickwerda lost her mother to breast cancer as a child, and then was the first in her class to 'develop.' She's been haunted by 'the boobs of doom' ever since. Francine takes us on a journey to explore how attitudes about breasts affect Americans -- diving into the history and politics surrounding this American icon.